Combined electrical vacuum cleaner and polisher



Dec. 19, 1961 H. SCHGTTLE: 1

COMBINED ELECTRICAL VACUUM CLEANER/AND POLISHER Filed May 27, i958 INVENTOR:

ATTORNEfiS 5,913,293 CGMBTNED ELEQTRICAL VAUUUM CLEANER AND PGLTSHER Hans fichiittle, Baltmannweilerstr. i), Reichenbach (File), Badeu -tdurttemherg, Germany Filed May 27, 1958, Ser. No. 738,221 l Claims. (\Cl. Iii-347) This invention relates to an electrical appliance for domestic use and refers more particularly to a combined electrical vacuum cleaner and polisher for use in households.

Heretofore the housewife we required as a rule to use separate appliances driven by electrical motors for vacuum cleaning and for polishing. Such appliances are costly and occupy a substantial amount of space. Prior art constructions of electrical polishers which could be used for vacuum cleaning are most expensive, complicated and unwieldly.

Consequently, an object of the present invention is the provision of an inexpensive electrical appliance for domestic use which is small in size and which can be used for vacuum cleaning as well as for polishing, whereby dust produced during the polishing is withdrawn during the polishing is withdrawn during the polishing operation.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent in the course of the following specification.

In accomplishing the objects of the present invention it was found desirable to provide an appliance having a casing which contains the electrical motor and the air suction means and which is provided with a front surface to which can be selectively attached either a polishing head or a cover for the vacuum hose. The polishing head and possibly also the vacuum cover are provided with separate dust bags and form single structural units therewith. When the polishing head or the vacuum cover I i are attached to the casing, their dust bag fits into the interior of the casing. With the exception of the dust bag all the other parts are used singly in this combined appliance for vacuum cleaning as well as for polishing.

The use of two dust bags does not increase the manufacturing costs to any substantial extent but has the substantial advantage for the user in that when the polishing head is replaced by the vacuum cover, or vice versa, no dust can be spilled out of the casing.

According to another feature of the inventive idea, the polishing head combined with the dust bag is. so constructed that the chart which drives the polisher extends outwardly through the dust bag and can be coupled with the motor shaft. Furthermore, the polishing head consists of two parts which are pivotaliy interconnected by a horizontal axle and are provided with semicylindrical contacting surfaces having openings for the passage of the shaft driving the polisher and for air suction.

The invention will appear more clearly from the fol lowing detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings showing, by Way of example, preferred embodiments of the inventive idea.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an ap pliance constructed in'accordance with the principles of the present invention and combined with a olisher, some parts being shown in side elevation.

FIGURE 2 is a similar sectional view of the appliance when used as a vacuum cleaner on a scale which is somewhat larger than that of FIGURE 1.

The main part of the appliance shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 is a cylindrical casing Ifor receiving the sucked in dust. The casing 1 is provided with an intermediate wall 6 which may have perforations for the passage of 3,013,293 Patented Dec. 19, 1961 partment 5. The compartment 4 contains the usual electrical motor and the usual fan or wheel for the air, which are not shown in the drawings. However, FIG- URE 1 shows the outer end of the driving shaft 2 of the electrical motor. In the example illustrated, the end of the motor shatt 2 is integral with a cup-shaped coupling half 3.

Obviously the coupling half 3 may be connected with the motor shaft 2 in any other suitable manner.

The wall 6 which divides the chambers i and 5 has a funnel '7 which encloses the coupling half 3 and which is used for the introduction of the driving connection in a manner which will be described in greater detail hereinafter.

In the construction shown in FIGURE 1 the member 7dl1as the form of a cylindrical sleeve with widened outer e ges.

However, the funnel 7 may be of frusto-conical or any other suitable shape.

In the construction shown in FIGURE 1 the appliance is combined with a polisher having a polishing head con sisting of two parts, namely, the casing 8 for the polishing brush and the connecting head 9.

The brush casing 8 has a lower edge which may be provided in the usual manner with an elastic ring 10..

The casing 8 encloses a disc-shaped brush it which is rotatable about a vertical axis. The brush 3.! carries upon its upper surface a conical frictional support 12. The connecting head 9 is pivotally connected with the eyelets 13 of the inner body by means of pivots :14. Since the pivots cannot extend through the entire length of the casing, they consist of two opposed aligned bolts or rivets which form a horizontal pivotal axle.

The brush casing 8 has an upper wall portion 8 which is of semi-cylindrical convex shape. The connecting head 9 has a corresponding semi-cylindrical concave wall 9. The walls 8' and 9' engage each other and serve as supports for the two casing parts 8 and 9. The walls 9 of the connecting head 9, which are illustrated in FIGURE 1 by broken lines, are pivotally connected by the pivots M with the eyelets 1.3.

A suction channel 15 is formed in the brush casing 8 and is in communication with the interior of the brush casing 8 through the inlet opening 16. The connecting head 9 has a corresponding suction channel 17 which constitutes substantially a continuation of the suction channel 15 and which is closed at its upper end by a valve trap 18 of the type known in prior art and made, for example, of. rubber. The two suction channels 15 and 17 are in communication with each other through openings 19 and 20 provided in the walls 8 and 9, respectively. The arrangement of these openings is such that the suction channels 15 and 17 are in communication with each other in each pivotal position of the connecting head 9.

The upper edge of the connecting head 9 is round and is provided with a flange; it is enclosed by an elastic packing ring 21 which is firmly mounted upon the head 9. A sheet metal ring 22 projects into the ring 21 and is firmly connected with the dust bag 23.

The front opening of the container 1 is firmly connected with a profiled ring 24. As shown in FIGURE 1, the ring 24 has a recess which is engaged by the elastic packing ring 21. The head 9 is connected with the casing 1 by means of two toggle lever locks which are well known in this art and which are not illustrated in the I wheel 25 and which is mounted in a bearing support 27.

The support or casing 27 is mounted for swinging movement upon the pivots 1 A tension spring 28 has one end connected to the casing 27 and the other end connected to the casing 8, so that it continuously presses the casing 27 downwardly in order to press the friction wheel 25 against the frictional ring 12. The lower shaft portion 26 is operatively connected by a flexible shaft 29 with an upper shaft portion 30 which is mounted in a tube 31. The tube 31 is firmly connected in any suitable manner with a tubular support 32 constituting a part of the connecting head 9.

The driving shaft 30 can carry the coupling half 33 dircctly upon its upper end.

However, in the construction shown in FIGURE 1 the coupling half 33 and the upper end of the shaft 30 are joined by a short flexible shaft 34 which connects the coupling half 33 with the driving shaft 30 not only operatively, but also elastically.

The supporting tube 31 carries a sleeve 35 which is provided with a conical upper end. The sleeve 35 is firmly connected at 36 with the bottom 23' of the dust bag 23. The wall 8 of the brush casing 8 is provided with an opening or a slot 39 for the passage of the flexible shaft 29.

FIGURE 2 illustrates the use of the apparatus solely as a vacuum cleaner. For that purpose the same casing 1 is connected by the above-mentioned toggle lever looks with a vacuum cleaner casing or head 37. The head 37 carries a tube 37' which is connected in the usual manner with the suction hose or suction tube. A sealing ring 21, which is similar to the sealing ring 21 of FIGURE 1, is used to attach the vacuum cleaner head 3'7 through friction to the outer end of the casing 1. A separate dust bag 38 is connected with the ring 21 in the same manner as was described in connection with the construction of FIGURE 1. The head 37 has a trap 18 similar to the valve trap 18 of FIGURE 1.

The vacuum cleaner head 37 and the dust bag 38 form a single unit, just as in the construction of FIGURE 1 the polishing head 8, 9 and the dust bag 23 form a single unit. When the apparatus is used as a polisher, dust is prevented from falling out of the dust bag 23 by the valve trap 18. Similarly, as far as the device consisting of the head 37 and the bag 38 is concerned, the falling of dust is prevented by the use of the valve trap 18' which is preferably elastic. and which is mounted upon the inner end of the tube 37'. Both traps 18 and 18' open as the result of air suction.

In operation, the vacuum cleaner shown in FIGURE 2 can be conveniently transformed into a dust-withdrawing polisher of FIGURE 1 merely by removing the vacuum cleaner head 37 with its dust bag 33 from the casing 1, whereupon the polishing head 8, 9 with its dust bag 23 is attached to the casing 1. During this attachment the receiving trough 7 and the elastic arrangement of the coupling half 33 make it possible for the coupling halves 3 and 33 to engage each other firmly and securely.

The casing 1 can be provided with a handle or an op erating rod, not shown in the drawing. The filtered air which is free of dust can leave the casing 1 at the upper end thereof beyond the motor.

It should be noted that the vacuum cleaner head 37 and the dust bag 38 may be used as separate elements which are not connected with each other, as is the case with prior art vacuum cleaners. In that case the special packing ring 21' may be replaced by an ordinary packing ring.

It is apparent that the examples shown above have been given solely by Way of illustration and not by way of limitation, and that they are subject to many variations and modifications Within the scope of the present invention. All such variations and modifications are to be included within the scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical appliance for domestic use, comprising a casing having a suction endand a dust-bag compartment adjacent said suction end, electrical driving and air suction means within said casing, 21 polishing head detachably connected to said suction end of the casing, a dust bag located in said dust-bag receiving compartment and connected to said polishing head, a driving shaft extending through said dust bag and detachably coupled to said electrical driving means, and polishing means carried by said polishing head and connected with said driving shaft.

2. An electrical appliance for domestic use, compris ing a casing having a suction end and a dust bag compartment adjacent said suction end, electrical driving and air suction means within said casing, a polishing head detachably connected to said suction end of the casing, a dust bag located in said compartment and having a bottom and an open top connected to said polishing head, a tube connected to the bottom of the dust bag and to said polishing head, a driving shaft extending within said tube and detachably coupled to said electrical driving means, and polishing means carried by said polishing head and connected with said driving shaft.

3. An electrical appliance for domestic use, comprising a casing having a suction end and a dust bag compartment adjacent said suction end, electrical driving and air suction means within said casing, a polishing head having an inner head portion detachably connected to said suction end of the casing, an outer head portion and means pivotally interconnecting said inner and outer head portions, said inner and outer head portions comprising interengaging cylindrical surfaces having registering airvent openings formed therein; a dust bag located in said dust-bag compartment and connected to said inner head portion, a driving shaft extending through said dust bag and said openings of the inner and outer head portions, means detachably coupling said driving shaft to said electrical driving means, and polishing means carried by said outer head portion and connected with said driving shaft.

4. An electrical appliance for domestic use, comprising a casing having a suction end and a dust-bag compartment adjacent said suction end, electrical driving and air suction means within said casing, a polishing head detachably connected to said suction end of the casing, a dust bag connected to said polishing head and located in said dust-bag compartment, a driving shaft extending through said dust bag, a coupling element, flexible means operatively connecting said driving shaft with said coupling element, another coupling element adapted to engage the first-mentioned coupling element and connected to said electrical driving and air suction means, a guiding member in said casing surrounding the second-mentioned coupling element for guiding the first-mentioned coupling element, and polishing means carried by said polishing head and connected with said driving shaft.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 987,640 Molyneux Mar. 21, 1911 1,267,282 Scully May 21, 1918 1,642,815 Kirner Sept. 20, 1927 1,697,918 Keefer Jan. 8, 1929 1,763,365 Nobbs June 10, 1930 2,044,830 Carlstedt June 23, 1936 2,184,732 Brewer Feb. 26, 1939 2,220,224 Faber Nov. 5, 1940 2,340,944 Easter Feb. 8, 1944 2,870,468 Barel Jan. 27, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 737,750 Great Britain Sept. 28, 1955 1,124,747 France July 2, 1956 

